Sometimes it’s the most obvious objects which say something interesting. You pass them every day without noticing much but a little attention reveals a history. And so it is with a new showcase at the History House museum in Glen Innes. High school student, Alexandra Millar, sought work experience there and also noticed that in the nurses’ quarters in the vicinity were lots of old tins – the museum is on the site of part of the old hospital. So she collected the tins and turned them into an exhibition. And she sought answers. She now opines, for example, that Arnott’s did so well, and became such a big Australian name, because it introduced brightly coloured tins that caught the eye before its competitors brightened up their functional dreary tins. Arnott’s marketed better. She’s tracked how biscuits became sweeter as sugar became cheaper as Australian production expanded. She is now a connoisseur of biscuit tins. And of tea and biscuits. What’s her favourite biscuit? You’ll have to watch the video to find out.

Glen Innes History House Museum tells the story behind the tins

Sometimes it’s the most obvious objects which say something interesting.

You pass them every day without noticing much but a little attention reveals a history.

And so it is with a new showcase at the History House museum in Glen Innes.

High school student, Alexandra Millar, sought work experience there and also noticed that in the nurses’ quarters in the vicinity were lots of old tins – the museum is on the site of part of the old hospital.

So she collected the tins and turned them into an exhibition.

And she sought answers.

She now opines, for example, that Arnott’s did so well, and became such a big Australian name, because it introduced brightly coloured tins that caught the eye before its competitors brightened up their functional dreary tins. Arnott’s marketed better.

She’s tracked how biscuits became sweeter as sugar became cheaper as Australian production expanded.

She is now a connoisseur of biscuit tins.

And of tea and biscuits.

What’s her favourite biscuit? You’ll have to watch the video to find out.